There could be no more apt horse than Time To Torque to give former Group One-winning jockey Gary Doughty his first Saturday metropolitan winner as a trainer.
Time To Torque makes a belated return to racing in the Tim Bell Memorial Open Handicap (1110m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Doughty won the Group One Caulfield Guineas and Group One Toorak Handicap in Melbourne before moving to Queensland in the mid 1990s.
He was among Queensland’s leading jockeys before being forced to retire after a fall at Ipswich in 2000.
Since then he has been stable foreman and chief trackwork rider for his wife, trainer Kelly Doughty.
Gary Doughty took out his trainer’s licence three months ago and has had two winners from a small number of runners.
He bred, part owns, trains and rides Time To Torque in his work so it would be apt if the grey gave him his first metropolitan city win.
“Kelly is well established and I thought the time was right to potter around with a few of my own while still helping Kelly,” Doughty said.
“I have six horses which I bred and are raced by some of our family and friends. Kelly still has about 20 horses and we can help each other.”
Gary Doughty bred Time To Torque who is a brother to the smart Black Cash.
The gelding was due to resume at the Gold Coast in early June with plans for starts in the Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes and Caloundra Glasshouse Handicap in the works.
“He burst a blood vessel behind a fetlock and it took him a month to get over it so it is a belated return for him,” Doughty said.
“It looks a bit short for him on Saturday but he goes well fresh and he is drawn well which should allow him to get a good run behind the speed.”
The Doughtys took Time To Torque to Melbourne where he ran fifth in the all greys race at Flemington in November last year, a race won by Black Cash in 2013.
Time To Torque was also placed at Rosehill in Sydney on the way home.
“But I don’t think we will be going south this year and there are a couple of 1350 metre races coming up to suit him,” Doughty said.
